Millionaire businessman to headline chamber of commerce event

The Shropshire Chamber of Commerce conference and showcase, at the Mercure Telford Centre hotel on June 8, is the first part of a double-bill of big business events that week, with the Chamber’s 2022 awards following at the International Centre on June 10.

Headlining the conference will be Walter Gleeson, the co-founder of Music Magpie who has lived in Shropshire for around 30 years and recently became a shareholder and director of AFC Telford United.

Mr Gleeson has set up a new company, Highclear Investments, bringing together a team of experienced experts to inspire, innovate, motivate and discover new and emerging young ‘tech-stars’.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting fellow business people from Shropshire and sharing our insights into what it takes to make a business successful.”

Among other high-profile speakers at the conference will be Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce and former head of operations at 10 Downing Street.

Business psychologist Heidi Hunter-Cope will be delivering a presentation during the morning session on how to get recruitment strategies right.

One of the conference panel debates will also have a skills theme – featuring Marches LEP Skills Champion and Telford College principal Graham Guest, Gareth Jones of In-Comm Training, and James Staniforth, the CEO of Shrewsbury Colleges Group.

With former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno appearing as guest speaker at the business awards two days later, there’s also a boxing theme to the conference.

Joe Lockley, founder of Bright Star Boxing in Shifnal which is helping people who have fallen out of mainstream education, will be sharing his inspirational story.

Richard Sheehan, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber who will open the conference, said: “There has never been a week quite like this for the local business community.

“Staging a conference and showcase in the build-up to our awards gives us the chance to bring top-level speakers to the county, to tackle the issues that matter to our local business community. It really is going to be an incredible week.”

Tickets for the conference, showcase and business awards are now available. See shropshirechamberbusinessawards.com, email awards@shropshire-chamber.co.uk, or call the team on 01952 208200 or 01743 460486.